On the contrary…Mongolian residents nowadays say that there are too many difficulties in nomadic life so they actually want to settle down. However, many do not have any idea how to sustain such stationary life.

Pictured here: Picturesque scenery of Mongolia yurts (also called ger)

An inspirational story about a brave woman, Chewolma

Meet, Chewolma (age 38), she is one such individual who was torn between a nomadic lifestyle versus a stationary life in Mongolia. Responsible for two children and family by grazing cattle and yak, she fell into despair last 2010 as her entire flock died due to severe cold with temperatures dropping to negative 52 degrees.

Pictured here: Chewolma who no longer wanted to live a nomadic life

Even though she appreciated the beautiful nature her entire life, the hardships that nature brought had negative impacts on her livelihood. Chewolma therefore decide she wanted a stationary life for better education opportunities for her children and the health of the family.  However she did not know how to sustain her livelihood and raise animals without moving around.

Pictured here: Chewolma and her 2^nd son

Then one day, she heard about POSCO’s Community Development Training Center (CDTC). She enrolled in courses and was the 11^th student to complete the program. She was able to build upon her knowledge on breeding and grazing livestock by learning about settled farming, as well as, farm income and operating structure.

Pictured here: Chewolma in Korea for training

Until then, Chewolma never had the opportunity to meet and share information with people in the similar field. The whole experience was exciting just like a special school excursion. Once she completed the program, POSCO provided a small fund so that she could apply her new knowledge in real life. In 2012, Chewolma started a settled stockbreeding farm with two horses and cows. Even though it was a small start, she won an animal milking competition where her livestock produced 7 liters of milk more than the average 5 liters. You could see Chewolma’s dedication just by looking at her cows. 

Pictured here: one of the cows that Chewolma takes care of

Rumor has it, Chewolma takes such good care of her livestock that other nearby residents secretly bring their own livestock to her place at nighttime.  Haha!

Chewolma’s farm now is full of 20 cows, sheep and goats. She no longer is forced to lead a nomadic life since she is an expert on preparing animal feed. In addition to making an income, she has proactively promoted a cause, “green environment for our children’s future”. Her activeness has engaged other nearby farms and government officials to help support her cause.

Pictured here: Stationary farm and home that now belongs to Chewolma

Help to make a smooth transition

POSCO’s regional development education business in Mongolia has been helping women like Chewolma. POSCO’s Community Development Training Center (CDTC) opened in November 2010 with Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), 65 km north of Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar.  It is being operated by Global Civic Sharing and has been providing 8-day educational courses to over 612 farmers.

Pictured here: POSCO’s Community Development Center in Mongolia

Going forward, POSCO CDTC in Mongolia will select 80 more students in 2014 to help more people like Chewolma sustain a settled livelihood.

In September of this year, POSCO CTL business plans to expand education and support opportunities for the citizens of Baganur.

Pictured here: Graduation photo of individuals who completed the program provided by POSCO

Those that pass through POSCO’s Community Development Center programs can take their learnings to each of their villages to begin profit-making projects and be leaders in their respective communities.

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What is POSCO’s CTL (Coal to Liquid) Business in Mongolia?

CTL stands for ‘Coal to Liquid’ and is a process that allows coal to be utilized as an alternative to oil. POSCO’s green energy plant business aims to provide clean energy to Mongolian society.

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Actively unfolding global Saemaul Movement, the new village movement, in poor areas of Africa and Asia, POSCO has been carrying out infrastructure construction projects, which are conducive to economic development ,including developing rural villages, improving housing environment and building agricultural training centers, where farming techniques are passed down and agricultural leaders are made, thereby helping them grow and become independent.

As part of this global Saemaul Movement, POSCO has been carrying out the ‘Mongolia Agricultural Leadership Training Program’ in Mongolia in partnership with Global Civic Sharing, an international development NGO.POSCO established a Local Development Training Center in Jargalant Mongolia in 2002, and has been conducting training every year for 120 of the agricultural leader candidates selected throughout Mongolia since 2010. The agricultural leadership training project is to provide skills to Mongolia which will substantially contribute to enhancing incomes for local rural villages. Such skills include the practice of greenhouse agricultural and the building of cattle sheds.

The project is also designed to promote communal spirit for the empowerment of leadership qualities and abilities. So far, POSCO has conducted 14 different agricultural leadership trainings along with5 lots of the leadership camp, and 667 trainees have completed the training course.

Among them, POSCO selects some 10 outstanding trainees each year and provides them with a study tour to S. Korea which includes a field trip to ‘Eco-Farm’, an eco-friendly agriculture support center operated by POSCO in the city of Pohang. 11 outstanding trainees have been selected this year.

They arrived in S. Korea on September 29, and were given with advanced agricultural techniques of the country. For four days from September 30, the Mongolian trainees received practical training necessary for improving agricultural techniques, including pasturage plants cultivation, potato cultivation, agricultural machinery and eco-friendly material manufacturing, as well as residential leadership training on how to convince residents, local issue solving techniques, economic development strategy, and more.

While paying a visit to the memorial hall in the birthplace of Saemaul Movement, Pohang steel mill and POSCO center, they also had a time to appreciate and experience S. Korea and POSCO, which have accomplished a great deal in developing the economy based on the Saemaul Movement. After visiting Pohang steel mill and the forestation memorial forest in Goryeong-gun on October 4, the trainees will move to Seoul where they have time to explore and experience the culture of S. Korea, before returning to their country on October 6. While spreading the Saemaul development model to African and Asian countries, POSCO has demonstrated a variety of accomplishments.

In Mozambique and Zimbabwe of Africa, POSCO built Saemaul agricultural training centers, teaching specialized knowledge and techniques about agriculture and stockbreeding, while increasing agricultural production and contributing to solve Africa’s famine problem. In Ethiopia, meanwhile, the Saemaul Development Project is under way, with overseas volunteers including the retirees of POSCO along with their family members stepping up their efforts to improve village environments as well as enhance the income of their neighborhoods. When it comes to Asia, POSCO is promoting Dream Village project to develop a village for non-homeowners in Vietnam, and carrying out the global Saemaul Movement in Indonesia, Nepal and Mongolia.